managing travel for planned special events - FHWA Operations ...

Parking operators and volunteers must meetthe following two requirements for parkingvehicles:• Park vehicles at the same rate as thosebeing processed.• Minimize pedestrian/vehicular conflictsinside parking areas.The event planning team should design asite and parking plan to service both the trafficmanagement team and event patrons.Pre-trip traveler information dissemination(via media, websites, mailings, brochures)should include elements of the site and parkingplan. Table 3-22 contains a site andparking plan development checklist.Pedestrian Access PlanA pedestrian access plan provides for thesafe and efficient movement of pedestrianswithin the immediate area of the venue.This includes accommodating pedestriantrips to/from several mode transfer points ina planned special event activity network.These points include site parking areas, transitstations, express/charter bus stations,shuttle bus stations, and pick-up/drop-offareas. Moreover, some event patrons maymake their entire trip, originating from homeor work, on foot. In meeting the managingtravel for planned special events goal of ensuringsafety, the event planning team mustdevelop a plan that: (1) accommodates pedestriansaccessing an event via a networkof safe walking routes and (2) minimizespedestrian/vehicular conflicts.A successfully implemented pedestrian accessplan for planned special events permitsrapid dispersion of pedestrian flow. Althoughhigh pedestrian volumes encompassthe immediate venue area during ingress andegress, the plan effects efficient accessthrough a radial network of pedestrianroutes. It also includes time-sensitivestrategies to minimize overcrowding conditionsat venue gates and mode transferpoints. The plan also considers a continuousshuttle bus service operations detail to handleevent patrons destined to/from satelliteparking areas and transit stations not easilyaccessible by foot.Pedestrian access routes are comprised oftwo components:• A routing component, consisting ofsidewalks or paths between street intersections.• A crossing component, consisting of infrastructureor other vehicle controlmeasure that allows pedestrians to crossa street safely.Planned special event pedestrian managementinvolves the implementation of integratedcontrol tactics to facilitate pedestrianrouting and crossing between a mode transferpoint and the event venue.Two strategies for managing pedestrian flowon walkways during planned special eventsinclude:• Locating access route termini.• Providing additional, temporary pedestrianwalkway capacity.Table 3-23 describes tactics for improvingthe safety and capacity of pedestrian streetcrossings. Use of a temporary pedestrianbridge represents an effective tactic forcrossing wide streets or roadways wheretraffic throughput is emphasized. Temporarystreet closures during event egress allowthe venue to empty faster and permitspedestrians to disperse to a number of adjacentmode transfer points and pedestrian accessroutes. Mid-block crossings not only3EVENT PROFILE POST-EVENT ACTIVITIES DAY-OF-EVENT ACTIVITIES ADVANCE PLANNINGOVERVIEW3-31